Dreamy landscapes inspired by the Rockies. 50% of the minting proceeds for Speckled Summits will be donated to GiveWell's Maximum Impact Fund (https://www.givewell.org/maximum-impact-fund). Additionally, during the Dutch auction component of the release, any net proceeds above the 0.24Ξ ending mint price will be donated as part of this donation to GiveWell.

Speckled Summits

*Your Story* is a book like no other.

It's the story you always wanted to read,
the story you always wanted to create.
Any story you want.
*Your Story* is your imagination projected within the pages, 
to tell a story today, 
and another tomorrow.

---

### The idea:

I was playing with a dot on a canvas, when I recognized the first symbol.
In the end, writing is not different from drawing.
So I generated another. And another.
That's how I realized that I had discovered a new language. As a writer, I knew what I had to do:
let this language tell the stories it wants.

Characters in modern alphabets are symbols that, over thousands of years, we aligned on in order to comunicate in written form.
Most people can tell which character represents what in the alphabet they're most familiar with.
There is no room for imagination anymore in the characters themselves. It's all up to the combination of them.
So we form words, sentences, chapters, books.

But imagine now a language that no one understands.
Every interpretation of it is valid: there is no wrong answer. 
Anyone reading it is perceiving a different story, creating a different story.
It's *your* own choice.
You can decide to change the story at every reading. Or keep a piece of it consistent. Collaborate with others to create a new story.

*Your Story* is giving back full imagination to *you*.

---

### How it works:

I wanted *Your Story* to look like a book, and all pieces of the algorithm follow this aesthetic direction.
The aspect ratio is set to √2:1, as most of the paper sizes available worldwide (ISO 216, ISO 217 and ISO 269).
Two set tokens (first and last) are the cover and the blurb. 
The remaining tokens form the interior, using token ID to determine whether the page is left or right and the respective margins.
The hash is used to determine the aesthetics of the page: the character style, the type of page (chapter header, illustration, normal text), the presence of notes, and highlights.
All character styles have clear differences between them, and occasionally they are all mixed together.
*Your Story* is not meant to be a single alphabet, but rather an exploration of the imagination. Different character styles may evoke different thoughts.

Your Story

“Life will be lived all the better if it has no meaning” - Albert Camus 

Optimistic nihilism embraces the idea that life's inherent meaninglessness is, in fact, positive. The conflict between intrinsic meaninglessness and our search for meaning is both absurd and liberating. We are free to create our own meaning yet ultimately, there is none. By acknowledging both the futility and the opportunity, we can find joy.

These images have no specific meaning yet often they seem purposed. Each output evokes an emotional tone, such as calm, erratic, troubled, bold, mysterious or cheerful. We are frequently reminded of something or can identify shapes like birds, houses or spaceships. Our innate tendency to find patterns and meaning is evident.

The algorithm uses geometry and rules but has been given as much freedom as possible to create varied compositions which contain both chaos and order. The compositions are constructed using node layouts, which are connected to form shapes. Connection is a recurrent theme in our pursuit of meaning - manifested in pattern formation, our relationships and the interconnectedness of the universe. The shapes are duplicated and modified through rotation, mirroring, and scaling to build up structure and chaotic form. If an output appears too sparse, an extra stage of manipulation is applied. Keypresses reveal the components, allowing viewers to observe the underlying mathematical structure of the composition. How does this insight influence our perception of meaning?

The meaning communicated by each piece is subjective, shaped by the viewer's own experiences interacting with the work. The artist aspires to connect with her audience by discovering the meanings they derive from the outputs we have yet to encounter.

Toggle components - 
1 - Nodes
2 - Shapes
3 - Extras
4 - Strokes or Outlines (if present)
5 - Border
r - Return to full piece

s - Save 2000px wide image
p - Save 5000px wide image

Meaningless

**Gels** is a science-inspired generative piece. Our algorithm simulates *gel electrophoresis*, a powerful experimental method in molecular biology used daily by thousands of scientists worldwide. In the lab, scientists "run a gel" to separate and visualize molecules such as DNA, RNA, and proteins. These molecules appear as patterns of bands when photographed, and those patterns can be used to interpret the results of experiments. 

The DNA band patterns in this work derive from combinations of a simulated experimental data and real-world data, including DNA sequences that encode several variants of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, and the corresponding mRNA vaccines. Our algorithm first generates plausible sample tubes that typically contain one or more DNA fragments. Then, each sample is distributed and "run" on a simulated gel to create the characteristic band patterns that might be observed on real gels.

Our simulations also take into account human error — mistakes are common in the lab, especially for novice researchers, but they can also lead to visually interesting results. For example, uneven salt concentrations or applying excess voltage can cause warping effects.

Finally, we aim to leverage proceeds of this project to support future scientific research! We invite interested collectors to follow along with our future work.

Gels

Geometric patterns discovered when playing with colors at Cellular Automaton. It reminds geometric patterns from the old paintings or patterns that were generated by weaving machines.

Art Blocks Presents

Speckled Summits #42

Jake Rockland

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